The Carlton Restaurant

From all of us at the Carlton Restaurant, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta
For your 4th of July check out The Golden Triangle’s greatest summertime show and Pittsburgh’s Official 4th of July Celebration… the 33rd annual EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta electrifies the city beginning Saturday, July 3 through Sunday, July 4.
This FREE festival of spectacular air, land and water entertainment features the skydiving, B.A.S.E. jumping and paragliding thrills of the extreme Redbull Airforce Team. And, back in the biggest way ever—the menacing “Rockets on the River” thrills of tunnel boat racing, as Regatta hosts the Powerboat Superleague North American Championships! July 4, see the “Greatest Glow On Earth”—the EQT “Flashes of Freedom” Fireworks Fantasia, renown as one of the best pyrotechnic displays in the country… plus, music for every age and appetite headlined by a soon-to-be-announced, main stage and national–recording country star performer… with climbing walls, kids zones and jet ski shows extraordinaire… the wildly popular “Anything that Floats” races, bass tournament, dragon boat racing and more… North Shore and Point State Park… it’s the summer’s largest and FREE family extravaganza!

The Carlton Restaurant wishes you a happy and prosperous 2010! May all of your dreams come true this year.

Recipe for a Happy New Year
Author Anonymous

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

On behalf of our fine staff at The Carlton Restaurant and on behalf of my family and me,
I want to wish you a very happy, healthy and blessed New Year!

And, speaking of blessings, I’d also like to offer you this old Irish Blessing!

May all that you wish for be the least you get,
and may the best times you’ve ever had
be the worst you’ll ever see!
-an Old Irish Blessing

From all of us at the Carlton Restaurant, we want to wish you and your family a very safe and merry Christmas this year!

Mulled wine, variations of which are popular around the world, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. Historically, wine often went bad. By adding spices and honey, it could be made drinkable again. Nowadays, it is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas.  Here’s a great recipe from allrecipes.com for a Hot Spiced Christmas Wine for you to try the next few days:

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 2 (750 milliliter) bottles red wine
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine
• 1 (3 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Directions

Well, it’s hard to believe but it’s the LAST weekend before Christmas.  For those of you that have everything done, maybe this is the weekend for you to sit back, relax and watch a few Christmas television specials.  However, if you’re one of the many that has yet to start shopping and plan on venturing into the “mall madness” this weekend, we wish you luck – lots of it! Here are just a few ideas for our last minute shoppers out there looking for something simple, inexpensive and don’t involve waiting in enormous lines:

Gift Certificates. Okay, I know sometimes it seems like gift certificates are an easy way out, but honestly, you’ll save so much time and stress by purchasing them and your loved ones will appreciate the extra so-called pocket money.  And, better yet, when you purchase them from Giant Eagle, you receive fuelperks!

Together Time. There are many great attractions around the Pittsburgh area, so grab some tickets to a show, sporting event or other special event and make it an evening.  Spending time together is a great gift for both you and them!  Something else to consider is purchasing a special hotel package that includes a massage, bottle of wine, dinner, etc. for the two of you to enjoy together.

Food. Whether it’s your famous dip or irresistible chocolate chip cookies, food is also a great option for a quick, last minute gift.  It shows them that you took time to make them something really special.  Try to personalize it as much as possible – add their favorite toppings, write their name in icing, etc.  It works every time!

Charitable Donations. Sometimes people really don’t need anything.  A great way to give back to the community and give them a meaningful gift is through charitable donations. Find something they are really passionate about and make a gift in their name.  If you and your group of friends can’t decide what to get each other, team up and make a donation to your favorite organization.

The holidays are officially upon us and if you’re looking for the perfect wine to pair your holiday feast with, we’ve got your answer right here!

Whether it’s ham, turkey or something else, this list from About.com is a great little cheat sheet when preparing your dinner this year.

Wines to Serve with Ham

Reds:Beajolais Nouveau , Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Tempranillo
Whites: Riesling and Gewurztraminer

Wines to Serve with Turkey

Reds: Pinot Noir , Zinfandel , Syrah/Shiraz, Beajolais Nouveau
Whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Gewurztraminer

Wines to Serve with Goose

Reds: Zinfandel , Red Burgundy, Tempranillo
Whites: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Wines to Serve with Prime Rib

Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Tempranillo
Whites: Typically white wines have a difficult time holding up to the bold flavors found in red meats, so while it is possible to enjoy white wines with red meats, it is challenging to find a good match.

Father’s Day is officially a week away and if you’re like the many of us out there who still hasn’t picked out a gift, there is hope!  Bring Dad to The Carlton for a nice meal and and then a night out on the town!  We offer free limo service to all cultural events – any Father would love a limo ride around town – so let us make your Father’s Day extra special this year.

For more ideas for Father’s Day this year, here is a great site filled with quotes, recipes, songs and a lot more to get on your Dad’s good side!